CVE-2011-2191 in Cherokee
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Cherokee-admin in Cherokee before 1.2.99 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that insert cross-site scripting (XSS) sequences, as demonstrated by a crafted nickname field to vserver/apply.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/23/2021
The CVE-2011-2191 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Cherokee web server administration interface, specifically affecting versions prior to 1.2.99. This vulnerability operates at the intersection of two significant security concerns, creating a dangerous attack vector that combines CSRF with XSS capabilities. The flaw resides in the administrative console of Cherokee, which is designed to provide remote management capabilities for web server configurations. The vulnerability manifests when administrators interact with the vserver/apply endpoint, which processes configuration changes through the web interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrative sessions, thereby bypassing standard authentication mechanisms. The attack chain begins with an attacker constructing a specially crafted request containing XSS payloads within the nickname field, which is then submitted through the vulnerable administrative interface. This particular exploitation technique demonstrates the sophisticated nature of the vulnerability, as it leverages the administrative privileges of the target system to inject malicious scripts that can persist and execute within the web application context. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to not only hijack administrative sessions but also to inject persistent XSS payloads that can compromise the entire administrative interface and potentially escalate to full system compromise.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF tokens within the administrative forms of the Cherokee administration console. When administrators submit configuration changes through the web interface, the application fails to validate that requests originate from legitimate administrative sessions. The nickname field within the vserver/apply endpoint becomes a critical attack surface because it accepts user input without adequate sanitization or CSRF protection mechanisms. This design flaw allows attackers to construct malicious HTTP requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, can modify server configurations while simultaneously injecting XSS payloads. The vulnerability is classified as a CWE-352 - Cross-Site Request Forgery, with additional implications for CWE-79 - Cross-Site Scripting, as the attack vector combines both weaknesses. The attack follows the pattern described in the ATT&CK framework under T1078 - Valid Accounts and T1566 - Phishing, where attackers leverage legitimate administrative credentials to execute malicious code through web-based interfaces. The lack of proper session validation and token generation mechanisms creates an environment where attackers can forge requests that appear legitimate to the web server, as the authentication context is already established within the browser session.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-2191 extends far beyond simple session hijacking, as it provides attackers with a pathway to persistent compromise of web server configurations and user data. When an administrator inadvertently visits a malicious website or clicks on a crafted link, the CSRF attack executes automatically, potentially altering server configurations, adding new virtual servers, or modifying existing ones. The injected XSS payloads can then execute within the administrative context, allowing attackers to extract session cookies, modify administrative interfaces, or even redirect users to malicious sites. The vulnerability's exploitation capability means that attackers can establish backdoors, modify security settings, or manipulate web content without requiring direct access to the server. The impact is particularly severe because Cherokee administrators typically possess extensive privileges, including the ability to modify server configurations, manage user accounts, and control access to web resources. This level of access combined with the persistent nature of XSS payloads means that attackers can maintain long-term access to compromised systems. The vulnerability also affects the integrity of the administrative interface itself, as attackers can modify the web application's behavior to hide their activities or prevent detection. Organizations using vulnerable versions of Cherokee face significant risk of data breaches, service disruption, and potential complete system compromise, as the administrative interface becomes a persistent attack surface.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-2191 focus primarily on updating to the patched version of Cherokee, specifically version 1.2.99 or later, which implements proper CSRF protection mechanisms. Organizations should immediately implement this patch to address the core vulnerability, as it represents the most effective defense against the specific attack vector. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing additional security measures such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious requests to administrative endpoints, particularly those containing XSS patterns. The implementation of proper anti-CSRF tokens within all administrative forms provides the primary defense against this class of vulnerability, ensuring that requests cannot be forged without the legitimate session token. Network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to limit administrative access to trusted networks and IP addresses, reducing the attack surface for CSRF exploitation. Organizations should also implement monitoring and logging of administrative activities to detect suspicious configuration changes that might indicate successful exploitation attempts. Security awareness training for administrators becomes crucial, as social engineering attacks often leverage this vulnerability by tricking administrators into visiting malicious sites. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against XSS payloads, while regular security audits of web applications should include verification of CSRF protection mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts to add additional layers of protection, as even if CSRF attacks succeed, the attacker would still need additional authentication factors to fully compromise administrative access. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing help identify similar weaknesses in other web applications and ensure that the security measures remain effective against evolving attack techniques.